Woman in a white lace blouse between two men in three-piece tweed suits by a brick building — John Crocket

Wedding Lexicon

Magical outfits for a magical day

The range of men's wedding attire is very wide, running from barefoot on the beach to a Tailcoat or Morning Coat in the cathedral.

Only two people decide what is worn at a wedding: the bride and the groom. The dress code chosen by the couple is usually given on the invitation. Guests take their cue from the requested dress code and must never “outdo” it.

Here invited guests will find helpful tips on the requested dress code and what lies behind it. Future grooms, in turn, can discover more about the range of classic wedding suits, which you will also find here.

The slightly more unusual dress code: the tweed suit

The tweed suit as wedding attire has established itself as a genuine alternative to the classic wedding outfit. The unique tweed cloth is not only vintage, it also stands for tradition and permanence. Truly lovely symbolism for the occasion.

Bride and groom arm in arm, groom in a green checked tweed suit with bow tie, bride in a light dress — John Crocket

Bride between two men in checked tweed suits, the bridal bouquet flying through the air — John Crocket

Tweed is chosen ever more often for weddings, because it is classic and relaxed at the same time. This unusual cloth leaves plenty of room for styling and dresses the most varied types of men with style and class. Usually this means a three-piece tweed suit, made up of a jacket, a waistcoat with lapels and trousers with pleats and turn-ups. With its ticket pocket, two vents and 3-button cut, the jacket stays true to the classic gentleman look.

The bride, of course, is free in her choice of outfit. From a white dress to a trouser suit to a ladies' tweed suit, anything is possible. You can be sure that the lady of the day will have a show entirely of her own.

What must not be missing at a vintage wedding, alongside the right outfit? The right venue, of course! Popular with many couples are, for example, castles steeped in history, converted barns on rustic farms, old mills and historic industrial buildings. Some nature lovers even prefer to say their vows on untouched heathland.

Man in a grey three-piece tweed suit with tie and pocket square by a leather armchair — John Crocket

Man in a burgundy three-piece suit with bow tie, pocket square and buttonhole on a path — John Crocket

Man in a beige three-piece tweed suit with tie and buttonhole, leaning on a red machine — John Crocket

For a colourful celebration: tweed in all colours

The colour of the tweed suit can be chosen freely, according to taste and your own daring. You can decide between plain suits in muted tones for a more understated look, and if you would rather have something more eye-catching, choose one of the typical tweed patterns. The choice includes herringbone, houndstooth or large checks, which add highlights with colourful wool threads woven in.

Fabric swatches: five tweeds in grey, blue, green, navy and brown with stripes and checks — John Crocket

The finishing touch: the right accessories

Tweed Cap — stilvoll, klassisch, mit britischem Charme

Tweed Cap – Bold gangster chic à la Peaky Blinders with the matching tweed cap.

Fliegen — Tweed-Fliege von Hanna Hats und Paisley-Seidenfliege

Bow Ties – Colour-matched to the lady of your heart – effortless with a tweed or silk bow tie.

Glossy apricot pocket square, loosely folded on a white background — John Crocket

Pocket Squares – Pocket squares in harmonising colours are another way to show that you belong.

Brown Derby Boot in grained leather with toe cap, eyelets and speed hooks — John Crocket

Shoes – The outfit is rounded off with the right shoe, for example our Derby Boot.

Married in tweed

Customer photos

Bride and groom in front of a historic façade, groom in a checked tweed jacket with bow tie and flat cap — John Crocket

Groom in a blue tweed suit and flat cap at the open car door, bride inside the car — John Crocket

Bride and groom in a close embrace, groom in a reddish-brown jacket with buttonhole, bride in a lace dress — John Crocket

Bride and groom in an autumnal rocky landscape, groom in a grey three-piece tweed suit, bride with bouquet — John Crocket

Dark Suit for the wedding ceremony

Man in a navy suit buttoning his shirt collar, white cuffs visible — John Crocket

If the wedding invitation states “dark suit”, this is binding, and none of the male guests turns up to the wedding in a tailcoat or dinner jacket, and, of course, certainly not in jeans and trainers. The guest reaches for a dark grey or dark blue business suit with black shoes, together with a white shirt, ideally with a double cuff and cufflinks, plus a festive tie and, optionally, a waistcoat. An eggshell-coloured or white pocket square goes perfectly with this.

Bride and groom with bouquet, groom in a navy suit with bow tie and buttonhole — John Crocket

If the wedding takes place during the day, a light grey suit with light brown shoes can certainly be worn, but only if there is an opportunity to change before the evening, because in the evening you really do have to appear in a dark suit.
In the same way, the female guests at a wedding party are expected not to appear in a white (evening) dress, because on that day “white” is reserved for the bride and the wedding dress alone.

Man in a navy suit with patterned bow tie and brown shoes adjusting his collar — John Crocket

Man in a navy suit with patterned bow tie and buttonhole in front of a staircase — John Crocket

Bride and groom cutting the wedding cake, groom in a navy suit with bow tie — John Crocket

Light blue striped shirt with double cuff, cufflink and paisley bow tie — John Crocket

The right shirt for the wedding

→ All shirts to choose from

→ To the Shirt Lexicon

Pair of gold-coloured knot cufflinks on a white background — John Crocket

The finishing touch: accessories for the perfect look

Cufflinks – The elegant piece of jewellery for men. Make your mark with a choice of distinctive cufflinks.

Four ties: patterned in berry, paisley in orange and in gold, herringbone in brown — John Crocket

Pocket Squares and Ties in silk – Whether plain or patterned, these accessories always underline your individuality and round off your outfit perfectly.

Pair of black Oxford lace-ups with perforated toe cap and perforated seams — John Crocket

Shoes – A classic shoe for the classic look – with our Punched Oxford you can never go wrong.

The dinner jacket in the evening

If the invitation to the ceremony states “Black Tie” or “evening dress”, gentlemen are required to wear the dinner jacket to the wedding. With the dinner jacket one wears a black silk bow tie, and that is where the English term “Black Tie” originally comes from. In addition one wears a white dinner shirt, reinforced across the chest with piqué fabric, and black shoes without broguing. Here the model we recommend is the Plain Oxford shoe, a faithful and enduring part of our range. The dinner jacket traditionally comes with colour-matched suit trousers, set off by the braid stripe.

The Cut for daytime, also known as the morning suit

If the wedding takes place during the day, one chooses the Cut. In English this is called a “morning suit”, because it is worn only in the daytime and never in the evening. The morning suit is still an integral part of the school uniform at the famous Eton College just outside London. At the well-known Ascot races, too, this outfit is an absolute requirement.

Man in a morning coat with grey waistcoat and striped trousers beside a woman in a yellow dress — John Crocket

Quite unlike the tailcoat, the Cut follows a dress code only in its shape. The cloth may be chosen entirely as you please: from flannel to covert twill, nothing is off limits. The classic Cut is made of dark grey flannel and is completed by a light grey waistcoat. In England, waistcoats in pink or with colourful patterns are often worn at weddings as well.

Man in a dark morning coat with grey waistcoat, striped trousers and black lace-up shoes — John Crocket

Blue and white striped shirt with double cuff and red and navy striped tie — John Crocket

Besides white shirts with the customary ties (a two- or three-colour interwoven check), the English are quite happy to pair a checked or striped shirt with a colourful tie. At Eton the pupils even wear dress shirts with a stand-up collar and white piqué bow ties with the Morning Coat. Usually, however, no bow tie is worn with the Cut. The suit trousers are striped morning trousers, or possibly a mid-grey pair of flannel trousers. As a shoe, the Plain or Punched Oxford is recommended. A matching pocket square is essential.

White Tie or full evening dress for the wedding ceremony

If the wedding invitation asks for White Tie, or full evening dress, then the tailcoat is meant. Here the dress code resembles a uniform, and most of us probably know it from the lavish, glittering Vienna Opera Ball.

A white bow tie is always worn with the tailcoat, together with a cotton-piqué waistcoat with lapels. With it goes a dress shirt with a stand-up collar (in German a “Vatermörder”), which has a piqué-reinforced front and single cuffs that are nevertheless worn with cufflinks.

Tailcoat on a dress form, white bow tie, shirt studs in a box and black Oxford lace-up — John Crocket

Here, too, the Plain Oxford proves to be the right footwear.

One last piece of good advice:

We have set out many possibilities for wedding attire here, and our advice is to choose the outer, slightly more unusual end of the spectrum in each case. Whether tweed, Black or White Tie – discover your outfit for an unforgettable wedding!

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